Abstract
ABSTRACT Oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from the nares of cattle, pigs and abattoir workers, and their carriage of mecA gene as well as antibiotic resistance profile were investigated in this study. Nasal samples were collected from two municipal abattoirs in two states of Nigeria. Fifteen oxacillin-resistant S. aureus were obtained from 830 (cattle = 400, pigs = 400 and abattoir workers = 30) samples, out of which seven carried the mecA gene. Three of the oxacillin-resistant S. aureus that carried the MecA gene are from cattle, two from pigs and two from abattoir workers. They showed varying levels of antibiotic resistance, with 100% resistance observed with ceftriaxone. The presence of mecA gene in the oxacillin-resistant S. aureus suggests that cattle and pigs are potential reservoirs of resistant bacteria, and they transmit infections to human beings and the environment. This poses a great threat to public health.
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